The Mail on Sunday newspaper had printed pictures and family information which it had obtained from Facebook pages attributed to his wife Lady Shelley Sawers.<\/p>\n
“The information has been taken out,” a Foreign Office spokesman told AFP when questioned about the matter.<\/p>\n
The newspaper added that the Facebook pages revealed details about where they live and work, who their friends are and where they go on holiday, and included a picture of Sawers in his swimming trunks.<\/p>\n
Sawers, currently Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, was named last month as the new head of its MI6 foreign intelligence service, who is traditionally known by his James Bond-style moniker “C.”<\/p>\n
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking on BBC television, described Sawers as an “outstanding professional” and brushed off the story.<\/p>\n
“He was appointed 10 days ago to be the head of MI6; he’s an outstanding professional who will do a really good job in an outstanding organisation that does a huge amount for this country,” Miliband said.<\/p>\n
He added: “The fact that there’s a picture [showing] that the head of the MI6 goes swimming. Wow, that really is exciting.<\/p>\n
“It is not a state secret that he wears Speedo swimming trunks. For goodness’ sake, let’s grow up.”<\/p>\n
Sawers, who is 53, will take over at MI6, or the Secret Intelligence Service, in November, replacing John Scarlett who has spent more than five years in the job.<\/p>\n